Sunday letters

Florida is moving in the right direction again. We’ve added more than 563,000 private-sector jobs, returned our AAA bond rating and reduced our state’s debt. Looking ahead, more than 6 million new residents will call Florida home by 2030.

Preparing for this growth in smart and sustainable ways will help secure Florida’s future. This week, Florida has a unique opportunity to move forward with a project that will help prepare us for future energy needs, create thousands of jobs, benefit Florida’s small businesses, save Florida’s families millions and protect the environment.

State regulatory officials will consider two new units at Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point nuclear plant near Homestead. Without creating greenhouse gasses, the new units will provide enough electricity for 750,000 homes.

From construction to operation, Florida’s economy will benefit by about $6 billion. Once operational, the plant would provide 800 quality, high-paying jobs — the kinds of jobs most communities would love to have. The positive effects on Florida’s tax base would be felt for generations.

Reliable, affordable energy will be a competitive advantage for Florida as our state continues diversifying our economy — especially in the areas of manufacturing and trade.

Free of greenhouse gas emissions, nuclear energy is clean energy. This is particularly important for Florida’s environmental treasures, which attract families to the area and drive much of our state’s tourism. Furthermore, forecasts show the new units would save more than $170 billion in fossil fuels costs over a 60-year period — helping to keep electric bills affordable.

We encourage officials to help secure Florida’s future by approving this project.

DAVID HART

Executive vice president

Florida Chamber of Commerce

Funding will expand Alzheimer’s services

It is with a heart of gratitude that we commend the Legislature for voting to fund $150,000 for the Alzheimer’s Project Inc., the Big Bend’s nonprofit caregiver support organization that has been serving our community for more than 23 years.

These funds will allow the project to expand respite care services throughout its 10-county catchment area — into rural areas where residents have little access to resources and are too often left choosing between leaving a job to care for a parent, or moving their parent into a state-funded nursing home.

The project not only offers respite day care services in community-based settings, but also provides extensive caregiver training programs, support groups and access to social workers.

With this $150,000, about 2,700 new families will gain access to services they need.

We want to offer special thanks to House sponsor Rep. Matt Hudson, who has shown extraordinary statewide leadership on Alzheimer’s issues, and to our Senate sponsors, Bill Montford, Denise Grimsley and Lizbeth Benacquisto. We also appreciate the support shown by countless other lawmakers, namely Rep. Marti Coley and Sen. Joe Negron.

The return on investment for this appropriation will be dramatic: Families will be able to keep their loved ones at home for substantially longer, avoiding placement in state-funded nursing homes, and caregivers will be able to maintain their confidence, health and jobs while also caring for aging parents.

We urge Gov. Rick Scott to approve this important life-, cost- and job-saving appropriation.

ALEXANDER “SANDY” HALPERIN

KAREN CYPHERS

sandyhalperin@gmail.com

Editor’s note: Sandy Halperin, 64, lives with early stage Alzheimer’s disease. He and his daughter, Karen, are advocates for Alzheimer’s issues.

April was a success for autism awareness

I want to express my appreciation to the Tallahassee community for is support of Autism Awareness Month.

Autism now affects one out of every 68 children, a 30-percent increase in two years, so understanding what autism is and spreading awareness has become more important.

From partnering with FSU’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities on a 5K and 1-mile fun run to Cayer Behavioral Group’s Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness event at Madison Social, I saw overwhelming support to continue to raise awareness for autism in the Big Bend during the month of April.

Every day my focus is working one-on-one with children and families with autism who are learning to dream new dreams.

With the Tallahassee community support, the money raised at the Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness event will help support a child and family who might not have been able to afford treatment and services.

From the bottom of my heart, I am grateful for the continued support of the community and coming together for autism awareness.

KRISTA CAYER

CEO and founder, Cayer Behavioral Group

kristacayer@cayerbehavioral.com

Saving our springs is only a dream

I had the most comforting dream last night. I dreamed I offered a million dollars to whoever in the Florida House and Senate could get a springs protection and restoration bill passed exactly as I wrote it.

The bill banned septic tanks in spring sheds, required the removal of all septic tanks in spring sheds and hookup to advanced waste treatment plants, required all wastewater plants old and new in spring sheds to meet the lowest technologically possible nutrient discharge levels, required the water management districts to rescind all consumptive use permits that were lowering spring flows and forbid the issuance of any new permits, and prohibited all agricultural practices that added nutrients and pesticides to spring sheds. It also provided hundreds of millions of dollars annually to fund these requirements.

A million dollars did the trick. Legislators scrambled to lead the bill to passage, exactly as written. All around the state festivals and celebrations took place praising the return of springs. Millions flocked to Florida to see our beautiful springs, and businesses flourished. It was a joyful time for all.

Then I woke up and realized I didn’t have the money to compete with businesses, agriculture and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, whose largesse funded the opposition to the spring’s bill and its death.

PAM McVETY

pammcvety@hotmail.com

FAMU is still fighting to meet its mission

Since its beginning in 1887, Florida A&M has had to fight against the odds to carry out its legally defined mission. After being designated a land grant college in 1891 (same as the University of Florida), it was required by law to offer programs in agriculture, education, mechanical arts (engineering) and military science.

President Tucker resigned in disgust in 1900 primarily because he was not authorized to offer bachelor’s degree programs. President N.B. Young, on his own initiative, started bachelor’s programs in agriculture and education in 1906, but could offer programs only in engineering technology. He also protested not being able to use proceeds from the college farm to strengthen the academic programs. Instead, the funds were turned over to the State Board of Control to be divided between FAMU, UF and FSU the next budgeting period, later including the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University. This activity lasted more than 70 years.

Ninety-three years after the university’s founding, President Smith requested authorization to start a College of Engineering. FSU also requested authorization to start a College of Engineering. Incidentally, FSU had closed its School of Engineering Sciences 10 years before. Rather than obey the law that designated FAMU a land grant college, the Legislature, led by our own Sen. Herb Morgan, created the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

So FAMU is still struggling to do what it was created for: offer college programs in agriculture, education, engineering and military science.

It is time for the state of Florida to do the right thing after 123 years. Keep the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering operating as a single entity with one set of rules and regulations. But that’s not likely to happen, because the state has been doing wrong too long.

CHARLES R. RUSSELL SR.

FAMU Class of 1952

crrussell@live.com

Why is Jesus in the schoolhouse?

Does Jesus really need to be in the schoolhouse? Parents can teach their children anything they want about religion. Every child is allowed to go to Sunday school or church to learn about religion. Parents are allowed to take their children to the shows put on by the mega-millionaire TV evangelists.

Why does religion need to be a central aspect of our public schools?

As far as separation of church and state goes, the religious are hypocrites. When it comes to religion in the schools, religion in politics, etc. they say the separation does not exist. When it comes to taxation of churches, though, then they believe strongly in separation of church and state.

JOHN KILGO

Jkilgoj@gmail.com

We must control campaign spending

Unfettered money is eroding our representative form of government. I firmly oppose the ideas that corporations are people and that money represents free speech. I support a constitutional amendment to allow the regulation of campaign spending. Our form of government cannot survive if money corrupts the political process.

Support S.J. Res. 19 and H.J. Res. 20 to again allow regulation of campaign spending.